I am Catherine

Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc.

I go by the nickname, Cathy, but my first name is Catherine. Catherine is derived from the Greek word kathoros, which means “pure.”

There are many variations in the spelling of my name, including Katherine, Kathryn, and Katharyn. My brother David used to call me by a Portuguese variation of my name, Catrina.

My first name and its variations were much more popular in the 1950s and 60s than they are today. There were three Cathys and one Kathy in my high school class. There are several Cathys/Kathys and a much younger Katrina at my church.

I am a sinner; I am not pure. However, I do relate to what the baby name site, thebump.com, says about Catrina:

[This name] “will encourage baby to embrace their inner goodness throughout all their days.”

Yes, I embrace my inner goodness.

When Jesus washed my sins away, he gave me a clean heart. It is an ongoing effort to remain pure in heart.

This is a favorite prayer:

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10; NIV